By Kinisha O'Neill, Staff ReporterWHEN WE women at Flair first heard about andropause male menopause, we were filled with surprise - wow, who ever thought? Then we became happy it's about time men got a dose of it; and finally, we began to question the matter. We just had to investigate, and that we did.
We took our seats in a meeting of the Women's Health Awareness Group (the men were also invited) at the St. Andrew Parish Library at Tom Redcam Drive in Kingston. The day's topic was Andropause.
The Women's Health Awareness Group began as a support group to help females deal better with the onset of menopause. Dr. Michael Bowen who was the guest speaker of the day helped to shed some light on the topic for all who attended that meeting. Well, here's the low-down on the matter.
They've been married for the past 20 years. He's in his early 50s, suffering from undiagnosed andropause. She's in her late 40s. Here are her worries-
"Lately, my husband's been a bit on the moody side and I can't seem to figure out what's bothering him. After all these years, I can't get him to talk to me anymore, and as far as I can see everything's okay. I mean, it's really bad, I think he may actually be suffering from depression.
I've heard that people who are depressed are always tired and fatigued. He used to be a really vivacious guy, but now he's always in bed or dragging himself around the house. His spunk has been on the decline over the last few years, but I don't think it could get any lower than this. He's even put on some pounds around the waistline. The body I loved is disappearing right in front of my eyes.
To make matters worse, I don't think he's attracted to me anymore. Whenever I try to have sex with him he turns me down. And the problem is, I'm in my sexual prime. I want it now more than I ever did. But, he just doesn't respond to my advances. It's like he's not the same man I married 25 years ago. I can't help but wonder if he's having an affair."
SIGNS
Low sex drive, fatigue, depression, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, back pain and even osteoporosis are the signs of the 'pause' that falls upon men between the ages of 40 and 55. This 'pause', the male version of menopause, is called andropause. For women, menopause usually means a hard hitting life-'pause' which is characterised by hot flashes, mood swings, etc-.(by now we've all been pretty schooled on the whole menopause thing.) But, here they come with a new phenomenon, the man's version of the life-'pause', that entails just about everything the woman's 'pause' does, just subtract the those dreaded hot flashes and obviously the ending of menstruation.
WHAT IS ANDROPAUSE?
Dr. Bowen hit the nail on the head when he said, "Not only do ovaries get old, but I think testicles get old too."
Seriously speaking, here's the full explanation on the matter... Between the ages of 40 and 55, men are likely to experience the above-mentioned symptoms due to a decline in testosterone levels, which in itself is referred to as andropause. Unlike women, whose oestrogen levels fall drastically between say 40 and 50, men's testosterone levels fall gradually over decades, starting from about 30. Like women who are experiencing menopause, each andropausal man endures different symptoms; it's all based on the individual. Some men are not even aware that they are going through andropause because they feel nothing at all.
So, you might be wondering what's the big deal. The big deal is that andropause increases the threat of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. So, if you're a man, or know a man who is afflicted with any of the signs of the 'pause', then treatment is vital. Treatment takes the form of testosterone replacement therapy (low and behold, just like oestrogen replacement treatment), which promises to make the male happier, healthier and bring back the vim in the bedroom.
TREATMENT
According to Dr. Bowen, the only treatment available in Jamaica at this time is by injection, but in other parts of the world patches and creams also available. Sorry men, Dr. Bowen says that the 'bush' medicine that Jamaican men often use to combat low sex drive, and to help maintain a lengthy erection are not proven to help relieve the signs of andropause.
"None of these have actually been shown to heighten a man's testosterone levels. Although they say they raise potency, it is probably only because men think these things work. The self-esteem is boosted, so a man feels he can be good in bed", the doctor frankly told his audience.
NOT THE PAUSE
Now, here's the thing ladies... We're sorry, but andropause is not the cause of your husband's going out and getting a brand-new sports car, a brand-new young girl to go on his arm, new too-hip clothes...Sorry, it's not the 'pause', it's just mid-life crisis -two totally separate catastrophic occasions (and imagine women thought they had it bad). As Dr. Bowen explained, "Mid-life crisis is in their heads, not in their bellies. It is a psychological adjustment to a new phase of life rather than a physical or biological problem."
He further explained that a man's mid-life crisis is a response to the realisation that they're getting older, that death might be right around the corner and probably even a reaction to the fact that they believe that at their age they haven't accomplished as much as they would have liked. The 'pause' ain't the crisis.
So, men welcome to the 'pause'. Hop on board, and enjoy the ride!
